Automatic lock for switches.



J. ROGERS.

AUTOMATIC LOCK FOB SWITCHES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.27,1914.

1,1 19,641 Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

ATTORNEY THE NORRIS PETERS C0. PHOTO-LITHUH WASHING rON. D C

UNITED s'raTns PAT NT ornion.

7 JOHN noonns, MADISON, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR To Joint Gnneoniz MoKENNA, or g anrson, WISCONSIN.

AUTOMATIC LOCK ron'swrrortns.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

Application filed March 27, 1914. Serial No. 827,638.

of the United States, residing at Madison, in the county of Dane and State of Wiscon:

sin, have invented a new and useful Auto ni'atic Lock for Switches, of which the fol-. lowing is a specification.)

The invention relates to for railway switches.

The object of thepresent invention is to automatic lock improve the construction of locks for rail way switches, and to provide a simple, practical, and efiicient lockoi' strong and dur-' able construction, adapted to bereadily ap plied to switch'stands, and capable of en-' abling the switch operating lever to be released by a simple insertion of a key without turning the latter, whereby the operation of switching may beperformed with great rapidity and ease. \Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction'and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the vclaims hereto appended, it being understood that I various changes in the form, proportion,

size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the. claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. a

1n the drawing: Figure 1 is a planview of a switch stand provided with automatic locks constructed in accordance with this invention, the switch shaft being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

, Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, the table being shown in reverse plan view. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line 14 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal sectional view: on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig.6 is a detail vertical sectional view on the line 6-6 of'Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail horizontal sectional view similarto Fig. 5, showing the locking mechanism in a ditterent position. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the latch lever. Fig. Sis a detail view of the key. J

Like numerals of referencedesignate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

. 1n the accompanying drawing, inwhich is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, ldesignates a switch stand table of'segmental form, provided at its periphery with spaced notches 2 and 3,'adapted to receive an outer pivoted arm 41 of an operating lever. The arm 4:, which i'sprovided at its outer end with a suitable grip or handle, is pivoted at its inner end by a bolt 5 or other suitable fastening means to an inner arm 6, which is suitably fixed to' a vertical switch shaft 7. The inner and outer arms 4 and 6 constitute theoperating lever, which is adapted to partially rotate the switch shaft 7 to operate the switch'in the usual manner; The table 1 is designed to constitute the fi'xed top portion of anordinary switch stand, and the shaft is to be connected with the ordinary switch mechanism (not shown), but as such construction is well known in the art, illustration thereof is deemed unnecessary. The inner arm 6, which isconstructed of metal, is approximately U-shaped in cross section, the pivoted end of the arm l-being arranged between the sides of'the arm 6. The pivoted end of the arm 4 is rounded at the upper outercorner 8 to enable it to clear the top wall or portion of the inner arm When the outer arm is swung unwa rdl a'ndoutwardly from a vertic al posltion to a horizontal position. The

upward and outward swinging ofthe arm 4 carries the latter out of the notches of the table 1, and arranges said outer arm 4 above thetable and in longitudinal alinement with the inner arm 6. Theoper'ating lever may then be oscillated between the notches 2 and 3 to partially rotate the shaft 7.

The table 1 is equipped at each of the notches with a lock consisting of an'approximately L-shaped latch leverS), pivotally mounted within the'casing 10, and carrying the locking lever 11, which engages an interior shoulder 12 of the casing to retain the latch lever in its engaging position, with its engaging'arm 13 extending across the outer end of its respective notch of the. table 1 to confine the pivoted arm 4 therein, as clearly illustrated in Fig.5 of the drawing. The other arm 1401 the latch lever is hollow and is pivoted at a point intermediate of its ends by a vertical bolt or screw 15, and the 'said arm 14 extends longitudinally of the'casing at one side of the notch of the its inner or rear portion extends beyond the hollow pivoted arm 14 0f the latch lever when the same is closed. The locking lever is maintained in engagement with the shoulder 12 by a spring 17 consisting of a central coil and terminal arms or portions, the coil being arranged on the pivot 15 and the said terminal portions of the spring engaging the pivoted arm 14 of the latch lever and the rear armof the locking lever.

The locking lever 11 is substantially U- shaped in cross section, and its sides or flanges are provided at its front arm With recesses 18, adapted to interlock with a lug 19 of a key 20 when the latter is introduced into the casing of the lock. The key is pro vided with a rounded head beveled or cut away at the back at 21 to form a wedgeshaped portion which engages the front arm of the locking lever 11 and forces the same away from the adjacent portion of the latch lever to carry the rear arm or the locking lever out of engagement with the shoulder 12 of the lock casing. The front arm of the locking lever bears against one of the Walls of the hollow arm, adjacent to the inner end of the engaging arm 13 of the latch lever, and when the key'is inserted in the lock casing, the lug 19 fits in thereccsses l8 and interlocks the key with the locking lever. lVhen the rear end of the locking lever is carried out ofengagement with the shoulder 12 of the casing, the latch lever is free to swing on its pivot, and the pivoted arm l of the operating lever of the switch may be then swung out of thenotch of the table 1. The outward swinging of the arm 4 oscillates the latch lever and moves the engaging arm 18 inwardly with respect to the casing and causes the rear portion of the pivoted arm to project into the notch or" the table, as illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawing. The projecting portion of the pivoted arm of the latch lever is then arranged in the path of the arm 4. of the operating lever. and is adapted to be engaged by the same when the said arm. 4- is swung downwardly and inwardly and returned to the notch of the table 1. The arm 4: returns the latch lever to its engaging position, carrying the arm 13 across the front end of the notch after the said arm 4t has passed into the same. As it is only necessary'to introduce the key into the lock casing to release the operating lever of the switch, it. will be seen that switching operations may be performed with greater rapidity and case than is possible where locks are employed which require a key to be turned to lock or unlock the operating lever. When the key is removed fromthe lock casing while the latch lever is in its open position, the locking lever is released and is adapted to automatically engage with the shoulder 12 when the latch lever is returned to its engaging position, so that the lock is 23 connecting two key holes or openings 24:

and 25 arranged to permit the key to be introduced into or released from the lock when the latch lever is in either of its positions. The latch casing is provided at the opening 23 with a flange 26 forming a guide to enable the key to be readily introduced into the lock. Ordinarily, in the use of the device, it is only necessary to introduce the key into the opening 24, the opening 25 permitting theremoval of the key from the lock after the arm 4 has been swung out of the notch of the table. The inner side of the casing is open; and is located at one side of its respective notch of the table to permit either form of the latch lever to project at the said notch. 7

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic lock for switch stands including a pivotally mounted substantially L shaped latch lever adapted to be oscillated to carry one of its arms to and from the notch of a switch stand, a locking lever carried by the latch lever and arranged to main tain the same normally in its engaging position, said latch lever and locking lever being arranged to permit a key to be interposed between them to carry the locking lever out of its engaging position.

2. An automatic lock for switch stands including a substantially L-shaped latch lever having a hollowpivotally mounted arm and adapted to oscillate to carry its other arm to and from the notch of a switch stand, a locking lever pivotally mounted within the hollow arm of the latch lever and arranged to maintain the same normally in its engaging position, said hollow arm being adapted to receive a key to permit the same to be interposed between thesaid levers to oscillatethe locking lever and thereby re lease the latch lever.

3. An automatic lock for switch stands including a casing having an interior shoulder and designed to be mounted on a switch stand adjacent to a notch thereof, a substantially Lshaped latch lever pivotally mounted within the casing and adapted to be oscillated to carry one of its arms to and from the notch of the switch stand, a locking lever pivotally mounted on the latch lever and arranged to engage the shoulder of the casing, said levers being constructed to permit a key to be interposed between them to swing the locking lever out of engagement with the shoulder of the casing.

l. An automatic lock for switch stands including a casing designed to be secured to a switch stand adjacent to the notch thereof and provided with spaced key holes, and having a connecting slot, a latch lever pivotally mounted within the casing and adapted to project at the said notch, a locking lever carried by the latch lever and" arranged to engage the casing to retain the latch lever in its projecting or engaging-position, said levers being arranged to permit a key to be interposed between them to oscillate the locking lever and thereby release the latch lever.

5. An automatic lock for switch stands including a casing designed 'to; be mounted on a switch stand and provided with a projecting front portion having a beveled upper face and provided below the same with spaced key holes, and a connecting slot, a

latch lever pivotally mounted within the casing and arranged to project therefrom to confine the operating lever in a notch of the switch stand, and a spring actuated locking. lever mounted on and carried by the latch lever and arranged to engage the casing to retain the latch lever in its projecting or engaging positlon, said latch and locking levers being adaptedto have a key interposed between them to oscillate the locking lever and release the latch lever.

6. An automatic lock for switch stands including a pivotally mounted approximately L-shaped latch lever having an engaging arm adapted to project at a notch of being hollow, a spring actuated locking lever mounted within the hollow arm and arranged to maintain the latch lever in its projecting or engagingp'osition,said look-- ing lever being provided with a recess arranged opposite aportion of the latch lever and adapted to interlock with a lag of a key to retain the same in the hollow arm.

7.The combination with a switch stand tablehavlng a notch, and an operating lever provided with an arm movable into and out of the notch,'of an automatic lock including" va lever pivoted at an intermediate point and adapted to be oscillated tofcause either of its terminal portions to project at the said notch, and a key controlled locking lever for normally maintaining the latch lever in one of its positions.

1 '8. The combination with a switch stand table having a notch, and an operating lever provided with an arm movable into and out of the'notch, of an automatic lock including a substantially L -shaped latch lever pivoted at a point intermediate of'the ends of one of its arms adjacent to the said notch, the front arm being rounded to project at the front of the notch to retain said arm of the locking lever therein, said latch lever being adapted to oscillate to retract its engaging arm and to cause the terminal portion of its pivoted arm to project at the rear portion of the said notch, and a key controlled locking'lever arranged to maintain the latch lever normally in a position with its engaging arm projecting at the front of the notch.

9. The combination With a switch stand having a notch and an operatinglever provided with an arm movable into and outof operating lever in the notch, and the other a switch stand, the other arm of the lever arm being arranged to be engaged by the operating lever to swing the latch lever to its engaging position, and key controlling Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents eacr, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. CL 

